We have seen manufacturers tend to exaggerate the lumens of their flashlights (DX and elsewhere). But do most exaggerations apply to just the higher lumens? For example I've seen reviews that said an 1600 lumen flashlight was actually only some 300 or 500 lumens. What I wonder is, if the manufacturer claims a light is 500 lumens, is it closer to the fact, instead of the light being actually 100 lumens? I'm getting frustrated because I paid nearly $30 for an "800 lumen" light, then saw another, "1800 lumen" light for less than $20. Should we trust the cost difference (more $$ = brighter?) rather than the lumen claim difference?
I'd go by this simple rule of thumb: Chinese output levels are always exaggerated. You get what you pay for. Stick to U.S. manufacturers.